


Coffee, Snow and Valentines Magic

by Neon_Opal



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Coffee Shops, Comfort, Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Fountain, Holding Hands, Hugs, Kissing, Love, Magic, Marriage Proposal, Rings, Romance, Snow, Snow Angels, Spells & Enchantments, Stars, Understanding, Walking, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, parks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 04:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3343388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neon_Opal/pseuds/Neon_Opal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville and Luna have their first Valentine's Day together after running in to each other in the summer to discover they were both now divorced and had always liked each other. He has a burning question on his mind.</p>
<p>A follow up to Coffee By Moonlight but it can stand on it's own.</p>
<p>~*~</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee, Snow and Valentines Magic

~*~

There was no lecture tonight but Neville had asked Luna to meet him outside the lecture hall where they had run into each other over the past summer. It had been a strange serendipitous occasion that had led to them discovering they had always liked each other. It started them on a chain of getting reacquainted and learning details of how the years and the mutual past had been to them both, spending more and more time together. As Luna approached, it was snowing lightly and everything seemed to shimmer and glitter.

Neville stepped out from under the overhang and hugged her.

“Happy Valentines’ Day sweetheart,” he said giving her a kiss.

“Happy Valentine's Day, Neville. I brought you a card.” She handed it to him and when he opened it confetti of hearts and doves fluttered out and scattered, floating around their heads briefly before drifting away among the snowflakes with a few cherubs following for good measure.

“Where are we going, Neville?” she asked as he put his arm around her and stated leading her down the quiet street.

“I thought it would be nice to go to that coffee shop again. I hope that isn’t too simple a date for our first Valentines’ together,” he told her hopefully.

“No. it’s perfect to go where we had our first unexpected date,” she replied snuggling closer to him and putting her head on his shoulder.  
They walled on as they had in the summer pointing out the few stars that occasionally glimmered through the snow filled clouds. A light dusting covered the sidewalk but walking was not difficult and being the sorts they were, both had worn boots in anticipation of the weather. Suddenly a strong wind came up and stirred up the fallen snow in a whirl and it began coming down harder as it swirled about them.

“It makes me think of being able to see the wind dancing,” said the ever imaginative Luna. “Dance with me,” she requested stepping aside and holding out her hand to him.

“Here?” questioned Neville looking around. The street was empty except for them, the turn to the main road was just ahead and a glow of bright colored lights from shops shown from it like and entrance to a different world.

“Come on silly, it won’t bother anyone.”

He laughed softly at her calling him silly, but he took her hand and spun her away from him then pulled her in close resting his cheek on hers. He started to hum “Some Enchanted Evening”.

They danced toward the main street and shops twirling and swooping as Neville hummed, taking her hand and bowing to her at the entrance to the high street. They were laughing and out of breath as he took her mittened hand in his gloved one, kissed it and led her toward the coffee shop.

They entered the café to smells of the sharp tang of coffee and sweet aroma of baked goods and took a table by the window so then could watch the snow. It fell more heavily now in big fluffy flakes drifting lazily down. In the cold weather the tables and chairs had been removed from the sidewalk and there was a view of the cheerful street as couples and families strolled about and visited the shops and restaurants decorated for the holiday. However, the heavier snow had begun to hurry them along to their destinations.

Neville tapped Luna's’ hand lightly to call her back from her revelry as she watched the street and asked, “What shall we order?” Now seated and still the ring he carried seemed to burn a hole in his pocket and he felt like Frodo Baggins on the way to Mount Doom as his mission played in the back of his mind. He didn’t want it to stick on a disastrous outcome.

“Oh, sorry I was looking for Snow Sprites they love this kind of weather when the flaks are so huge and fluffy, they can sneak around among them with no one noticing.”

“Did you see any?” he asked her with a smile.

“Sadly, no but maybe later if it is still like this,” she told him as she watched a group off teenagers pass in a jumble pelting each other with handfuls of snow and she said longingly, “They remind me of our crowd when we were young. Those times we actually did have carefree visits to Hogsmead in winter,” she finished and picked up the menu.

“I sometimes wonder what our lives would be like now, what they would have been like then, if our cares were less and our world more like theirs,” he agreed wistfully as they watched the teens disappear down a side ally.

“We wouldn’t be the us we are now though, if it all hadn’t happed. I’m never quite sure if it is sad or good but certainly we wouldn’t be who we all are today without the Dark Lord.”

“Enough maudlin talk, what shall we have? Here comes the waiter for our order.”

“Let’s order the same as we each got that first night in memory of new beginnings, shall we?” Luna asked and Neville nodded agreement. They gave their order to the waiter.

“I’m glad we shared that back then Luna, in spite of everything, I really am,” he reached out and touched her hand as he had that first night, “It made us discover what we were made of, even a kid like me.”

“You are right, how brave we all were. I scare myself thinking about it sometimes but there were things to laugh at then too.” Their conversation turned to the lighter side of memories; they often discussed the dark side of them but by some unspoken consent seemed to know when they had had enough of it and should quit it and move on.

Their deserts and drinks arrived and an extra dish of decorated Valentines petti fores to share. They atmosphere inside the shop changed as well as the fire seemed to glow more brightly and the coming and going of different parties changed something subtle and the music turned to more sweetly lilting love songs from melancholy ones, inspiring Luna to bounce up and lean across the table to kiss him.

“What was that for?”

“Because we’ve fallen in love at this age no less and it’s Valentine’s Day so we should be a bit goofy like we would have been back then.”

This was the thing they realized early on last summer, in some ways they needed to relive their youth differently and in other ways they needed to be comfortable with it, acknowledge it, have someone who understood it and the things about it no one else would understand without finding them disturbed. Especially the times they found black humor in it or reminisced about those times they had it then. Neither one had had that with their former spouses who wanted to be understanding but could never fully comprehend it or be comfortable with the talk of it. But Neville and Luna had a perfect balance with each other because they each had been there together.  
They passed the time after that in easy conversation as they ate. They had grown quite comfortable with each other these past months, though throughout the conversation Neville remained constantly aware of the box in him pocked and had to keep fighting back his growing nerves when they surfaced.

~~

Later they left the café and started to walk home the way they had that summer. The snow had gotten deep quickly over the time they had their treats but it had let up a little but still fell steadily. Luna turned in a circle and tried to catch snowflakes one her tongue as she tried to cajole Neville from a strange fidgety quiet that had overtaken him when they got outside. The night was filled with the eerie stillness and muted sound of a snowy night. The chilly air was refreshing after being inside so long and the crowd had dissipated. They were alone save one other couple at the far end of the street snogging in a doorway. She watched him fidget and keep stuffing his hand in his pocket but when she tried to ask what was wrong he’d only reply, “Nothing.”

As they neared the crossing for the park the wind had drifted the snow several inches deep; with a flick of her wand Luna swept it away to the sides into the shapes of waves on the beach. Neville laughed finally. These were the things he treasured about this woman, not satisfied to just clear it away but make it fanciful. It dispelled his nervousness a little. When they crossed the road, the path in the park had been permanently charmed and while it glistened prettily as if covered by a light dust of snow and ice crystals, it was safe from slipping. Unless you wanted to slide, which of course Luna did, letting go his hand and after a few quick steps for momentum sent her self-gliding half way to the fountain. She had obviously been here in winter before.

“Try it Nevil! It’s fun!” she called to him.

“No, I’m too old,” he replied more afraid he’d fall on his face in spite of the enchantments and lose his nerve for the real purpose he brought her here.

“Nooo, you’re not!” she yelled with glee as she slid back to him and before he could protest further, she grabbed his hand and started to run pulling him along with her like it or not. Then they were skimming along the frosty flagstones giving him one of the most delightful magical sensations he ever felt. Luna was right it was exhilarating or maybe it was just that she was beside him. The momentum of the two of them together had taken them much closer to the fountain which was frozen solid with the sprays and droplets still in their downward arch, though they seemed to sparkle and shift as it still moving. Neville tried to catch his breath as they laughed and took a few steps closer to it. He was afraid that might make him lose his resolve but while still a bit nervous, he was much more relaxed as he looked down at her, her long silvery hair flowing out beneath her hat and caught with snowflakes.

He felt in his pocket for the case that held the delicate ring and drew it out keeping it hidden. “Luna, there is something I’ve been wanting to ask you almost since that first night at the coffee shop,” he said getting down on one knee; finding this all much easier than he’d expected. Taking a deep breath he took her one hand in his and held the tiny box forward with the other releasing the catch and letting the moonstone glint in the ethereal light of the snowy night. “Luna Lovegood my old friend and new love will you marry me?” he whispered into the cold night air, afraid she wouldn’t hear the last part as his voice suddenly seemed to fail him.  
She grabbed his arms and helped pull him back up.

“Yes! I will Neville Longbottom it took you long enough to ask!” she gave him an excited hug and looked at him with her lovely eyes.  
“I…I was… afraid to ask too soon. I didn’t want you to think I was rushing things.”

“Don’t be daft,” she said swatting him with her mitten which she had pulled off to allow him to place the ring on her finger, “I was going to give you till May Day and then I was going to ask you myself! We’re not getting any younger,” she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Now there is one thing left to seal the deal,” she told him matter of factly.

“What would that be?” he asked confused.

“Make snow angels!” She drew him over to the edge of the path and taking a couple steps into to pristine snow and positioning them side by side, they looked out at frozen cupid atop his fountain with his arrow pointed towards them and Luna whispered,

“Now!”

And they fell backwards in a free fall that felt much longer than it was, to a landing that felt like a deep feather bed. They swished their arms and legs back and forth touching fingertips and booted toes as they did so. Luna then turned to him and propping herself up on and elbow said, “I never thought I could love anyone so much.” Carefully she transferred over to his angel and kissed him deeply and they lay there snogging for a minute while the snow fluttered around them, impervious to the cold. Then they carefully got up and turned to look down at their angels which were perfect and unmarred in spite of their movements. Luna took out her wand and waved it over them scattering a shower of red and pink sparks across them and proclaimed,

“There now the snow will remember us. Now they are sealed forever with our love.”

And they were; for every winter thereafter when it snowed the snow angles of Luna and Neville appeared by the path leaving many wizards and witches young and old to delight in and to wonder at, and it always left them filled with a sense of peaceful love as they passed.

 

The End

~*~


End file.
